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Committee hears DFR warning on S154 biomarker testing study and potential state costs
Summary
State insurance deputy commissioner Mary Block told the committee S154 is currently a study but is narrowly written; she warned that if CMS finalizes a proposed rule requiring 'defrayal' for post-2011 mandates, the state could face significant premium costs and recommended broader, less prescriptive study language.
The committee on health care heard from Mary Block, deputy commissioner of insurance for DFR, on a proposed study bill, S154, that would examine mandating biomarker testing and its likely effects on insurance premiums.
Block told committee members that as drafted S154 is highly prescriptive and would force the department to hire outside experts to satisfy specific technical requirements. "It's a very, very specifically detailed study right now, which we're gonna have to bring in outside help," she said, urging lawmakers to consider broader language so DFR could leverage existing research from other states and organizations.
The deputy commissioner explained a central fiscal concern: defrayal. "Defrayal means that if we add a mandate that was not previously in the benchmark, a new benefit, the state is required to pay the…
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